One hazard of cold weather is the freezing of water pipes. As water freezes it expands. This can cause pipes to crack (burst) or couplings to come apart. This can affect any pipe, from the smallest to the largest.
A frozen pipe can impact people immediately. If people are gone and not using water then the problem can go unnoticed until the pipes thaw and water starts to flow.
Hazards of a major water main freezing:
(1) loss of water supplies to homes
(2) inability to fight fires
(3) loss of water to factories and businesses
Hazards of water pipes freezing in a home or building:
(1) loss of water
(2) flooding with structural damage due to water
(3) mold overgrowth
(4) electrocution
(5) damage to furnace and water heater
(6) damage to stored items
(7) drowning if the water is deep enough
(8) hypothermia
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